Lineal Descent

beautifully empowered write beautiful Vati
may we never face oppression of this sort again...

love Brenda ❤

Thank you, Brenda

I always love your responses  ❤

Brief, but powerful.    
 
The Holocaust with its concentration camps always haunted me from childhood, but as a hooded child, I never fully comprehended the depths of the horror that the women endured simply because they were women. What could be worse than torturous labors, experimentations and deaths we already learned about in school?  
   
Even as an adult, my mind never went there until now, because my mind spends little time revisiting such awful places.  
   
This poem says what needs to be said without going into any further detail.    
   
Bravo to you for putting a tactful spotlight on it.  
   
📝😔

Thank you, I always appreciate your responses!  They're well thought out and genuinely from your heart. The atrocities were much more than I can even bear to think about, much less experience.

❤

brevity lends itself to the powerful message here. really like how your writing addresses important, 'big' subjects without losing a personal contact with people as individuals. that takes some doing. it does.

Thank you, butters. I truly appreciate your observations.  ❤

Sometimes the oppressed become the oppressor.  
Free Palestine.

Which is why I said "This is more about women than religious affiliation." in the author's note.

I am of Jewish descent ( Latvia, to be exact ); however, I did not agree with the taking of Palestinian homes and land.  Trust me when I say to you, that even a Jew can be labeled anti semitic if sympathizing with Palestine. Yet, there are plenty to be found.  

I get it.
The photo of the army chicks made me think of bulldozers and Rachel Corrie.
I grew up with Jewish people. I have a ton of Jewish friends. I am Arab Iraqi Kurd with a dash of italian, I never hide my disdain for Israels leadership. Ever.
I wont buy any products made in Israel and I certainly wont buy Arab artifacts from Israel on ebay. But hey thats me 😘

Well said. My husband's father is Israeli. His great-great aunt couldn't have children because of experimentation in the camps.

Should have said, was. He's gone, as of this year. Rest In Peace, Ozzie.

To nikki:  Well, in a sense I do hope they look like bulldozers. Women certainly need to be at times.  I completely understand where you are coming from.  These particular women were going into gaza not as soldiers but part of a paramedic crew to help.  Doesn't change what happened to Gaza, doesn't mean I agree with what happened.  

But given the nature of the top photo, when women weren't even allowed to wear pants, much less do much outside of the kitchen and bedroom, I am proud of how far we've come. That is the essence of this poem.  Women are taking their rightful place in the world - finally.  

I very much appreciate you sharing a part of yourself I didn't know about. Now I feel I know you so much better; and I like that.  ❤

To Edible: Thank you, I appreciate your sharing, and express deep condolences on your loss.  ❤

Very kind, thank you. It's kind of taboo to open up about stuff related to xenophobia in my house. There will be no final solution!

And I don't want people using us as another example of Jews trying to rule the world.

But my man is so cool, I often tell him

"You rule!"

Difficult subject to pitch right - but you did it great.

Thank you, Josh. Much appreciated.  ❤

That's the spirit...
I wish every women alive could read this poem...
This piece is for strength, courage and all in between, a lot of women need this....

I hope you don't mind if I share this piece

Hi, PoetOfTragedy-

Please feel free to share at will, particularly if it will empower women to be themselves.  There are still many places in the world which prevents that, but hopefully, together, we move one step at a time, one day at a time toward complete freedom of every human alive.

❤

Brief and yet powerful. The photograph adds to the message.
Thank you for sharing.

Thank you, Wally. I truly appreciate it!  ❤

Dear E,

What I love about this piece is the photo depicting the strength on both sides. What it took to be in the camps and what it takes to be whatever we want to be now. Nothing is easy but that dichotomy is striking and I adore how you have melded  them together by “But, fight to the death        
for our God-given right—      
 to live as women ”
Brilliant, succinct and spot on! H🌷

Thank you, Honoria - it really does depict strength - survivors and generational reminders of where we came from, and what we must learn from so as to never repeat it again.

Much appreciation.  ❤

Now I have read what the respective photos portray, I see a poetic justice in racial descendants of concentration camp prisoners, victims of force, coming to bring merciful help to latter day victims of force.

Exactly, Solomon. Exactly.

Thank you for your insights. They are greatly appreciated.

The reader on first sight might be misled by the helmets and flak jackets in the bottom picture, but I appreciate they wear them for protection when working under fire.

I agree with you, but It's just their uniform.  As any other business, e.g. - hospitals, doctor's offices, etc. - they have to wear them.

The original caption says they were; however, I could not verify that.  In bloodline and spirit they are - I have no doubt.

Thanks, Tim.

Hey Ahvati........BRAVO!! Thank you for sharing a piece of your soul with us.......an ink of power and awareness........well done.......purple luv & hugs xo :)

Thank you, FloweredOne! Much appreciated! xo :)

The history of the human species is, to use the words of Mr. Yeats...

Too long a sacrifice
Can make a stone of the heart.    
O when may it suffice?
That is Heaven's part, our part    
To murmur name upon name,    
As a mother names her child    
When sleep at last has come    
On limbs that had run wild.    
What is it but nightfall?
No, no, not night but death;    
Was it needless death after all?

...A terrible beauty is born.

Poignant and full of hope A.
Cheers...Harry

Beautiful & thank you, Harry!  Much appreciated, my friend. ❤

This piece is transcendent - the way it is written could apply to any group of women who have been oppressed and who have fought or are currently fighting to be free. (just replace Bubbie with a different word).

Exactly, echoingsilence. It's about women overcoming oppression. Excellent observation about word replacement.